


Delicate Problems

by ItsaVikingThing



Series: Elements in Balance [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Nonsense, Perfume, Pre-Book 3, Sweat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-13
Updated: 2017-06-13
Packaged: 2018-11-13 15:43:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11188230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsaVikingThing/pseuds/ItsaVikingThing
Summary: Korra embarks on a secret mission.To buy perfume.Which has nothing to do with trying to impress Asami, obviously.





	Delicate Problems

Korra pauses in front of the door. She looks anxiously round the street. No one familiar is in sight. No one seems to be paying attention to her.

Korra takes a breath and yanks the door open. She steps inside quickly, scanning for threats even as she pulls the door shut behind her.

Korra's standing in a pleasant-smelling shop. The shop is small and full of glass shelves which create narrow aisles between Korra and the counter.

There's a slim, dark haired woman behind the counter. Her welcoming smile slips, just a little. "A-avatar Korra?"

On the shelves between them are many small, elegant, _breakable_ bottles.

Korra tries to smile. "Hello! Uh, I'm here to-"

Korra takes a step into the shop. Her elbow brushes against a bottle of perfume. It wobbles, but doesn't fall.

She sees the woman behind the counter tense up. Her gaze flicks from Korra to the fragile and very expensive space between them. She shakes her head in an involuntary, almost imperceptible movement.

Korra narrows her eyes. She says, "I'm coming over there. And I'm not leaving until I've bought perfume."

The woman looks taken aback. "Oh! Well, that's...what people usually do?"

She watches Korra's progress anxiously, as if Korra can't walk ten feet without performing some violent feat of bending or causing spirit vines to erupt from the ground.

Korra threads her way through the shelves wondering what the owner must have done to so upset the designer.

She makes it almost all the way to the dark-haired woman without jostling anything other than her pride.

And a shelf at knee height three feet from the counter.

But that only rattles a few bottles.

Which makes her jump, admittedly, and bump into the shelf behind her.

Which knocks a glass heart and a bottle that Korra thinks looks like a distressed arctic hippo off the shelf.

Which is fine, really, because a quick spot of airbending is enough to cushion their fall.

Of course, the abrupt shift in air currents in the cramped space makes almost every shelf in the place shudder and leads to a brief chorus of rattling and clinking bottles.

But other than a couple of quiet thuds indicating overturned bottles, no real damage is done.

Korra carefully replaces the heart and the hippo. She gives the hippo a gentle pat.

She makes it to the counter without further incident.

The woman behind the counter suppresses a sigh of relief and smiles. "My name is Hakka. How can I assist you today?"

Korra's impressed. Hakka's smile looks every bit as relaxed and comfortable as Hakka clearly isn't.

Korra clears her throat. "I want to buy perfume."

Hakka tilts her head expectantly. "Yes?"

Korra nods. She waits.

Hakka stares at her, smile slowly eroding. "Uh...perhaps if you told me what you want perfume for?"

Korra blinks. "Oh! To...smell good?"

Hakka's smile is becoming as glassy and fragile as the shelves behind Korra. "Perhaps we should just...try a few samples?"

"You're the expert." Korra shrugs and spreads her hands, knocking over a square bottle on a nearby shelf. "Sorry! Do we try samples here?"

Korra starts to wave, vaguely indicating the rest of the shop.

With reflexes that would shame most pro-benders, Hakka grabs Korra's arm before she can complete the gesture.

"Oh, no! I mean, uh...that wouldn't be fitting for the Avatar! Let me take you to through to the back!"

Korra ducks her head. She tries to keeps her hands still and by her sides as she follows Hakka behind the counter.

Hakka asks, "We stock a wide variety of fragrances. Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"

Korra sighs. This is going to be more even difficult than she thought it would be.

* * *

Korra's current misadventure isn't down to a sinister plot that needs to be foiled or a dangerous criminal she's tracking.

If only.

No, Korra is in her current predicament because she has a sweat problem.

Sweat is not something worried about for most of her life. After all, sweat is a natural result of exertion. Korra has always pushed herself. Running, climbing, swimming, fighting...Korra has always embraced the physical.

And mastering the bending forms? As the Avatar, many of them came to her quite easily. But that doesn't mean she doesn't train hard to develop and master her skills.

She's never been afraid to sweat for what she wants. She never considered that to be a problem.

Maybe it's because she grew up in the South Pole. As a member of the Southern Water Tribe, Korra grew up believing that sweat was a practical issue rather than a social one.

In winter, when the temperature drops and even walking across the snow becomes an effort, sweat is dangerous.

Sweat can form when you exert yourself, no matter how cold it is. Sweat can freeze on your skin, no matter how many layers you wear. Frozen sweat can give you frostbite.

If you're too far from shelter or don't have the necessary bending skills, sweat can kill you.

Life and death matters like that are easy to understand.

In Republic City, sweat is dangerous in entirely different ways. In spite, or maybe because of, the large labour force in the city, sweat is disdained.

And while no one wants to smell _bad_ , it turns out that smelling _good_ in Republic City is...complicated.

There's perfumes, and incense, and oils, and scented soaps and handkerchiefs, amongst many other things that are employed to deal with so many people in one place, all of them...well, sweating.

And that's not even getting into the differences between expensive scents and cheap ones, and what that says about their wearer's status.

People here seem to have mastered the acrobatic art of looking down their nose even as they're turning it up at you.

For Korra, who has been used to using whatever soap or fragrant leaf might come to hand when she can and not worrying about it the rest of the time, it's confusing.

But she's come to accept that standards in Republic City are different than they were back home.

Even so, Korra probably wouldn't have considered wearing perfume if she hadn't become friends with Asami Sato.

Asami's from Republic City. She's rich. The way she dresses, has her hair styled, wears makeup...it's entirely different from Korra.

In the early days of their acquaintance, Korra's embarrassed to admit that she resented Asami. Not because of her wealth or style, but because she suspected Asami was one of those people, the kind who would judge Korra for her appearance.

It didn't take long for Korra to realise that in fact, she was the one guilty of judging by appearances while Asami was busy offering her friendship. Luckily, Korra figured that out before it was too late.

There have been some bumps in the road, but they've become close, regardless. They've accepted each other's differences. They've embraced them.

In fact, Korra's come to realise that Asami's friendship is one of the greatest treasures she's found in Republic City.

Korra and Asami have facd danger shoulder-to-shoulder together any number of times. They've sparred together. Korra's helped Asami dismantle and reassemble complex mechanical devices.

Well, she's stood there and passed Asami tools, at least, quietly admiring Asami's focus and grace.

Sometimes Korra thinks that Asami is a kind of bender in her own right, someone with a skill that Korra can never possess. Almost no one can match Asami's talents, in truth.

She's...unique. Korra can relate to that.

Maybe that's why they've become so close. Maybe that's why being with her is so easy.

Apart from the sweat thing.

Because Korra's recently noticed something: Asami always smells good.

Even if Asami's been fighting, or running, or she's covered in motor oil, Korra can always pick out a scent that's uniquely Asami's, something clean, warm, with just a hint of sweetness.

Korra's convinced it has to be because of some kind of expensive perfume.

Korra knows that Asami would never judge her for not wearing fancy scent.

But for reasons Korra can't quite pin down, she's decided she should make more of an effort. After all, Korra's fairly sure no one's going to judge her for trying the stuff, and it might be...nice.

To be safe, though, she went to Pema for advice.

Korra didn't want to bother Asami over something silly.

Hakka proves a patient and, once they're in a back room surrounded by sturdy furniture and boxes, enthusiastic guide to the mysteries of perfume.

Which is a good thing, because it turns out to be a complicated art. And all Korra knows is that she wants something that will make her smell as good as Asami does but will also smell completely different.

This does not prove to be a useful way of narrowing down the possibilities and it makes Hakka smirk at Korra in a way that makes her face heat up.

In the end, Korra buys a small bottle of something Hakka tells her is jasmine blended with moon peach.

"She'll love it," Hakka promises.

Korra flushes. She babbles, "Th-that's not why I'm buying this! I just...wanted to smell nicer. Maybe that's because of Asami, but I'm not doing it _for_ Asami, or anything!"

Korra looks down at her feet. She seriously considers opening up a hole and in the floor and letting it swallow her.

Hakka's smirk eases into a kinder expression. "As you say, Avatar. I hope you enjoy your purchase. It has been my pleasure to meet you."

Korra mumbles her thanks and lets Hakka guide her to the door. As she steps out into the street, Hakka calls out, "Good luck, Avatar!"

Korra keeps her head down for a few streets, until her face cools down.

* * *

Later that night Korra puts on some of the perfume ahead of meeting Asami, Mako and Bolin for dinner at a new place Asami has discovered.

Asami drives them there with barely constrained recklessness and a smile on her lips.

Korra loves the way Asami drives. She sits beside her and marvels for the thousandth time at Asami's dexterity and her sheer vitality.

They all get out of the car and begin to walk to the restaurant together, but Asami pauses. Korra does, too.

Mako and Bolin bicker their way inside, too wrapped up in their argument to notice that the other two aren't following them.

Asami smiles at Korra, though her expression is slightly puzzled.

Korra starts to sweat. She considers that deeply unfair. She's not doing anything! She's just standing inches away from Asami, that's all...

Asami's voice is gentle when she asks, "Is everything okay?"

Korra smiles and tries not to even think the word 'blush'. "I'm fine! I just thought, ah...did you want to say something?"

Asami smiles. "I didn't mean to worry you. It's nothing important. I was just wondering...is that a new scent you're wearing?"

"Oh! Yeah. I just...felt ready to try something different."

"Good for you! It's lovely. Although..."

Korra's voice comes out evenly, despite her mouth being suddenly dry. "You don't like it?"

"I do! It's not that, it's just..." And now _Asami_ is blushing. "You always smell good, Korra. But I think I prefer your old scent."

Korra stares at her, dumbfounded. "Oh."

"I, uh, I guess we should go in?" Asami shrugs helplessly and heads off after the others.

Korra just stares at her for a moment.

Korra wipes her palms on her trousers. She decides she'll give the rest of the perfume to Pema.

She's beginning to think that she's got a very different problem from what she imagined.

Asami pauses and looks back at her, dark curls spilling down around a warm, soft smile that Korra returns automatically.

Asami says, "Hey. You still with me?"

"Always."

Korra jogs to catch up. Asami waits for her, smiling and holding out her hand.

By the time she reaches Asami's side, and she finds her hand fits comfortably into Asami's, Korra thinks that she maybe doesn't have any problems at all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> I hope you'll pardon me dipping my toes into these waters...


End file.
